A typical wireless communication network includes a number of base stations each radiating to provide coverage in which to serve wireless client devices (WCDs) such as cell phones, tablet computers, tracking devices, embedded wireless modules, and other wirelessly equipped devices. In turn, each base station may sit as a node on a core access network that includes entities such as a network controller and a gateway system that provides connectivity with an external transport network such as the Internet. With this arrangement, a WCD within coverage of the system may engage in air interface communication with a base station and may thereby communicate via the base station with various remote network entities or with other WCDs served by the base station.
Such a network may operate in accordance with a particular air interface protocol, examples of which include, without limitation, Long Term Evolution (using Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) and Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA)), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) (e.g., 1×RTT and 1×EV-DO), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), IEEE 802.11 (WIFI), BLUETOOTH, and others.
While a WCD is served by a base station in this arrangement, the base station will typically maintain WCD context information to facilitate serving the WCD. This context information could include information related to the WCD's existing connections with the base station and the network, such as radio-link security key information to facilitate secure air interface communication between the WCD and the base station, and bearer information to facilitate management of WCD air interface communications and routing of WCD communications within the network. Further, the context information could include information about the WCD, such as capabilities data and service profile data, which could impact how the base station serves the WCD. Other examples are possible as well.